


The Romeo and Juliet of Low-End Retail

by tonystarkssnipples



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, College AU, Glasses Tony, Halloween, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, M/M, Stony - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-31
Updated: 2014-10-30
Packaged: 2018-02-23 07:58:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2540264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tonystarkssnipples/pseuds/tonystarkssnipples
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony Stark works at Family Dollar. Steve Rogers works at Party City. Neighboring competing stores.</p><p>But, when Family Dollar stops stocking Tony's favorite flavor of gum, he's forced to go into Party City in hopes they have it.</p><p>They do.</p><p>But that's not the only reason he keeps going back.</p><p>Over the course of October, they grow closer and closer. Culminating in a Halloween party neither of them will ever forget, Steve and Tony attempt figure out what it means to leave behind your demons and fall in love.</p><p>PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTES.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Romeo and Juliet of Low-End Retail

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all,
> 
> So I didn't want to put this in the tags, but there are brief mentions of rape and alcoholism in this chapter. Blink and you miss them. I just want to let y'all know.

“Would you like to donate a dollar to our charity of the month?” Tony asked, scanning the woman’s numerous items and passing them on to the bagger behind him. He wasn’t sure why Family Dollar needed a bagger, but whatever.

“What’s the charity of the month?” the woman asked, switching her sniffling toddler from one hip to the other. Tony scanned a princess wand and handed it to the girl. The smile on her snotty face made Tony happy.

“It’s, uh,” Tony looked at the paper in front of him. “October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. The money will be going to fund treatments for women who can’t afford to pay for their own.”

The woman smiled warmly. “Then I’d like to donate two dollars. I lost my sister to breast cancer.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that, ma’am.”

Tony watched as the woman attempted to reach into her purse to get out her wallet while still holding the squirming child in her arms. Tony ached to help, but he wasn’t allowed to go exit his station, touch wallets, or hold children. Everything he could have done to help the woman in this situation was against his rules of employment.

This job was just a way to get some money so he didn’t have to eat in the repulsive cafeteria three meals a day. There was a kitchen in his dorm and his roommate knew how to cook; they were just broke. Money for food and extra paper towels isn’t too much to ask. Maybe dish soap. Maybe dishes. Utensils would be nice.

College sucked.

Eventually the woman was able to fish out her wallet and handed Tony the money she owed. Tony put it in the cash register, gave her the change, and wished her a good day.

The rest of his day went on much the same. Just before closing, Tony’s manager called him into his office to inform him that he would be setting up the halloween display.

“This is of the upmost importance, Stark,” Nick, his boss, told him. “Party City is next door and they always have—”

“Better quality, harsher price. I know, Saint Nick. Not a problem.”

Except it was a problem. There were dozens of boxes that he had to lug out and unpack. He was being paid overtime and the store was closed, but at what cost? Eventually he got all the boxes out of the delivery area and set to unpacking them.

Fake tombstones and pumpkins on spears and cheap wigs and cobwebs and plastic spiders. Halloween was his favorite holiday, and he felt a jolt of excitement. It was only the second of October.

Working at the dollar store was not prime, but it paid decent enough and the hours were flexible to his study schedule. It was nights like these, though, that had him wishing he could quit. Then he thought about the fact that he’d go back to his room and Bruce will have cooked something fresh because now they could actually afford groceries.

When he eventually made it back to his dorm, he was exhausted. The key-card scanner wouldn’t work and he had to turn his ID around four separate times before he was granted access to his building. Dumb piece of shit. For a school that’s collecting nearly fifty thousand a year from approximately fifteen thousand students, one would think that they would be able to afford better security. Half asleep, he stumbled to his door. His key wouldn’t fit for whatever goddamn reason, but he jiggled the handle and, thank god, Bruce had left it unlocked.

He threw his keys on the table and face planted into his bed that wasn’t where it should be? He sat up off the floor and looked around the room. This wasn’t his room. Fuck, shit. He jumped up and grabbed his keys, desperate to get out of the room, when he walked into a wall of a human.

“Hey there,” the wall said. “What’re you doing here?”

“I went to the wrong room. Sorry.” It was not lost on Tony that the wall wasn’t wearing a shirt and was… glistening from the shower he’d obviously just taken.

“It’s fine. I’m Steve, by the way.”

“Hello Steve by-the-way. I’m Tony. What room is this?”

“406.”

“Yeah, I’m 506.”

“That explains the mixup,” Steve by-the-way chuckled. “You’re welcome to stay, but I am very close to being naked and would like to get dressed, so, if you’ll excuse me.”

“I—I think I’ll go back to my room, and, uh, sleep. I’m tired. Went into the wrong room and all.”

“Well, goodnight, Tony. Sleep well, I suppose.”

“You, too, Steve by-the-way.”

When Tony finally fumbled his way into his own room (his key fit in the lock this time) he was greeted with the smell of homemade chicken something or other. Tony couldn’t cook to save his life.

“Smells wonderful, Brucey Bear, but I’m gonna have to pass,” Tony groaned, throwing himself onto his bed and wrapping himself in his blankets. Warm. So warm. So soft. If he just kicked off his jeans, he would gladly sleep in his dirty work shirt, and that was saying something.

“Are you kidding?” Bruce groaned.

“Look, I’m exhausted. Fury had me set up the Halloween display and you know how I feel about decorations. Well, maybe you don’t because we’ve only lived together for a month, but you get the picture.”

Bruce walked to Tony’s side of the room and dropped the plate onto the table beside his bed. “Eat.”

“Whatever you want, mom,” Tony snapped. The chicken was delicious and he felt better after eating it, but never ever ever would he admit that to Bruce. “Thanks, bro. I’m gonna hit the hay.”

That night, he dreamt of a wall of a human made of muscle.

* * *

Family Dollar was the only place he could walk to that would hire a eighteen year old with absolutely no job experience. There was Burger King, but Tony would rather eat his own foot. It wasn’t that he hated Burger King because he actually loved it, but he heard that what goes on behind the counter can change a man; he didn’t want to risk his love of the Whopper With Cheese.

Before his shift, he went to checkout lane three to grab a pack of 5 Watermelon gum. It was the only lane that stocked it. Third shelf, second from the left, watermelon-y deliciousness awaited. Only, when he reached out to grab it, it wasn’t there. He looked around the rest of the spots on the rack, wondering if they’d stocked it in the wrong place. Every checkout lane and even the candy isle was missing 5 Watermelon gum.

“Nick?” Tony asked when his boss came out for his shift-change inspection.

“What, Stark?”

“Uh, we’re out of 5 Watermelon gum.”

Nick heaved a heavy sigh. “Unfortunately, 5 gum has increased their prices and they no longer will sell to a store that sells their product for only a dollar. Watermelon is a girl’s gum. Try some spearmint.”

Nick turned and went back to his office and Tony was left to gape. The store no longer carried _his_ gum? He’d been chewing that flavor since sophomore year of high school. His shift had never been so agonizing; without being able to pop a piece of gum every half hour like normal, he was forced to stand and chew his tongue.

At closing time he bolted out. Party City closed an hour later on Fridays; a tactic to get those who are late to the dollar store to be forced next door. Party City sold gum and it was Tony’s last hope. He rushed in and looked at the rack of gum by the checkout lines. There it was, 5 Watermelon. If he believed in God, he’d have thanked Him.

“Hey, Tony!” Tony looked around in circles, wondering where the voice was going from. “Over here!”

Turning towards the voice, Tony saw the one and only, “Steve by-the-way, what’s up?”

“Not much. Working,” he shrugged.

“Check-out dude for Party City? Woah, I don’t think we should be friends anymore.”

Steve smiled a little. “We’re friends?”

“We _were_ until I found out you were the competition. Over at Family Dollar, we’re a pretty tight knit family. Can’t have the enemy encroach upon us.”

By now, Steve was grinning. “Well, it was you who crossed over to enemy territory.”

“Well, my home land has wronged me and no longer stocks my favorite gum.” He threw the pack on the counter. “How much?”

“1.49.”

“A sin.” Tony threw down a bill and fished through his pocket for two quarters. “Keep the penny.”

“Thanks. It was nice to see you, Tony.”

“Well, you’ll be seeing a lot of me, Steve by-the-way, for I chew no other gum.”

“Rogers.”

“Huh?”

“My last name isn’t by-the-way. It’s Rogers.”

“Steve Rogers.” The words bounced around in his head. “It suits you.”

“Thanks?”

“It’s a compliment.”

“Then thanks.”

“No problem.”

“What’s yours?”

Tony grinned and headed to the exit. “That’s for me to know and for you to always wonder. See you later, Mr. By-the-way.”

The walk home was starting to get chilly. Tony wasn’t prepared for winter in New York without a car. Goddamn his father. Rubbing his hands together did nothing to warm them. Every breath was visible as it billowed out.

“Balls,” he muttered. Burger King was on the horizon. He had a mile to go before he got back to campus, numb hands, and was hungry enough to eat a horse. It was only October for fucks sake; it should not be this cold.

One Whopper With Cheese, large fry, and coke later, Tony realized he had to leave eventually; he had homework and an irate roommate to deal with. Bruce was a chill dude about seventy-four percent of the time, but when Tony missed things he said he was going to do—i.e. eat the dinner Bruce had cooked—he was a fucking nutzo. Not just irritated, but downright _angry_. Tony didn’t like him when he was angry.

* * *

Saturday was his long shift; twelve hours of “Would you like to donate to the charity of the month?” and snotty children and only one fifteen-minute break for lunch and “I don’t care how badly you have to go to the bathroom, Stark, you have to wait until Shift Change.”

It was his own personal hell.

At 8:30am he strolled into Party City and grabbed a pack of Watermelon gum. So what if he was hoping (praying) that Steve was working? It’s not like he was _obsessed_ with the guy. He barely knew him! Their only interactions were the incident in Steve’s room and the few times Tony went in to buy gum.

“Hey Tony,” Steve greeted. Tony had been so wrapped up in his own head he hadn’t realized Steve was actually standing right in front of him. “I have a question for you.”

Tony threw the gum on the counter.

“Will you answer it, please?”

“Depends on the question,” Tony brushed off. His heart was pounding. Steve was going to ask him not to come into the store. Steve was going to ask him about Tony’s stalkerish behavior. _Breathe, Stark_.

“You’re in Haig’s physics lab, right?”

Oh. “Yeah. How’d you know?”

Steve blushed. “The grades. They were posted and everyone uses code names, but yours is Tony With The Glasses, B*tches. I kind of figured it was you.”

“Well, yeah. It is.”

“You’re at the top of the list.”

“I am.”

“I’m, uh, not.”

“Steve, if you want me to tutor you, I’d be happy to.” Tony didn’t know where the words came from. All through high school people would beg him to tutor them, but he refused; he didn’t have the tolerance. School just came easily to him.

The tension in Steve’s shoulders relaxed. “Thank you. So much.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Tony waved him off. “You know, it seems like you’re _always_ working. What are your hours?”

Steve looked at his shoes. “My Saturday hours are eight to eight.”

“I’m nine to nine!” Tony exclaimed. “How fun. Two dudes with twelve hours shifts at competing stores.”

“The Romeo and Juliet of low-end retail,” Steve grinned and scanned in his gum. “Wait! Totally wrong analogy!”

Tony smirked and threw the money on the counter. “Two households, both alike in dignity. In fair Verona, where we lay our scene. From ancient grudge break to new mutiny. Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes.” He recited as he left the store.

Around three, a group of high school kids, probably freshman, opened cans of silly string and emptied them throughout the store. Tony was taken off the register to clean it up.

Oh, wasn’t his job _glorious._

****8pm rolled around and who should walk into the store but Steve Rogers. Tony watched as he snaked through the isles, not touching anything. “Can I help you?” he called from his station.

“Nah,” Steve shrugged. “Just killing time.”

It was none of Tony’s business, but he had to ask. “Until what?”

Steve smiled and walked to Tony’s lane. “A have a friend who gets off work around nine and I thought I’d wait around for him to finish up his shift and walk home with him.”

“When he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars, and he will make the face of heaven so fine, that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun.”

Steve gave Tony a full toothed grin and holy good-god that was a good smile. “Do you just recite Shakespeare on cue?”

Tony shrugged. “Maybe.”

“So is that a yes, or a no? Will you let me walk you home, fair Juliet?”

“I’m Juliet?”

“Oh, what's in a name? That which we call a Tony by any other name would smell as sweet.”

It was Tony’s turn to grin. “Yes. You can stick around and walk me home.”

* * *

“Question game, go,” Tony instructed. He and Steve were walking home.

“Rules?”

“We’re allowed one follow up question _if_ it’s reasonable, no ‘same question’ responses because that’s cheating.”

“No passes,” Steve said.

“Only ask a question you’d be comfortable answering,” Tony specified.

“Sounds fair.”

“The game was my idea, so you get to ask first.”

Steve was quiet for a long time. Tony was afraid that he’d decided against playing. There was a rock a few steps ahead of them, so he jogged up to it and kicked it. It skipped a few feet forward and he chased after it to kick it once more.

“Okay, I’ve got it. Guilty pleasure TV show?” Steve said, finally.

“Gilmore Girls.”

“It’s on Netflix now.”

“Oh, I know,” Tony grinned. “What do you think I’m doing when I get back to my room?”

Steve looked at his feet and tried to hide his smile in behind the collar of his shirt; Tony saw. “It’s your turn to ask a question.

“What was your first time like?”

“It was lame.”

“New rule; you have to give a somewhat thoughtful answer. ‘It was lame’ is not a thoughtful answer.”

Steve sighed. “It was prom. My date ditched me for some other guy and I was pretty upset. Admittedly, I was sulking and some girl came up and offered and I said yes. It was in the janitor’s closet of the hotel. My foot was stuck in a bucket for most of it. I never spoke to her again.”

Tony cackled. “That’s brilliant!”

Steve frowned. “Don’t laugh at me.”

“Hey, it’s better than mine. I was twelve—”

“You were _twelve?_ ”

“I never said I make good life choices. Anyway, it was the end of sixth grade. I was packing up my stuff from boarding school when my driver called and said he was going to be a day late. It was just me and, like, five other people left on campus and we did the whole seven minuets in heaven thing. I similarly never saw her again because I didn’t go back to that school.” Tony glanced out of the side of his eye at Steve. “Why are you staring at me?”

“Driver? Boarding school? Who are you?”

Tony bit down on his lip. He just _had_ to go and open his fat fucking mouth. “Pass,” he tried.

“Nope. No passes. You have to answer the question.”

“Please.”

“Fine, I’ll rephrase the question. Are you _the_ Tony Stark?”

Tony stopped dead in his tracks. “H—how’d you know my last name?” Tony gaped.

“Name tag,” Steve smirked. “Kind of a giveaway.”

Tony stopped walking and sat on the curb. The concrete was cold but whatever. “Yes. Yes I am _the_ Tony Stark.”

“Follow-up.”

Tony groaned. “Fine.”

“Why didn’t you want me to know?”

Tony raked his fingers through his hair. “A grand total of two students on campus know, and it’s my roommate and my RA. This is going to sound dumb and cliche, but for once in my life, I just wanted to make friends like a normal guy and not like a bank account.”

“I get it,” Steve assured, sitting on the curb next to Tony. “In the abstract of course. I can’t actually get what it’s like to be a millionaire.”

“Billionaire,” Tony corrected. “I’m a billionaire.”

“Then why do you work at the dollar store?”

Tony looked at Steve. “Nope. My turn to ask a question.”

“Okay, fine. What’s your question.”

Tony ran his hand along his chin like an cheesy villain. “Do you, Steve Rogers, swear to keep my secret?”

“Of course! Is that really the question you wanted to ask?”

“Mm-hmm. I had to know if I could trust you. It’s more important than an ‘about you’ question.”

“Well, I promise that I will tell no one.”

“Thanks.”

“It’s not a problem.”

“Your turn,” Tony said, nudging Steve’s shoulder with his own.

“Why do you work at Family Dollar if you’re a billionaire?” 

“Daddy-dearest isn’t exactly my biggest fan. This summer I fucked up. Big time. Because I know it’s gonna be your follow up, I’ll tell you. I got drunk. I’m underage, obviously, I… rolled my car. I was the only one hurt, thankfully, and it was just a broken arm. But, uh… dad was pretty mad. He pulled a lot of strings, kept it from leaking to the press. He said he’d pay for me to go to school, but that was all he’d pay for. I was on my own for anything I wanted to do outside of classes.

“So, I got a job. I’m making my own money and living like a normal eighteen year old and I stopped drinking and it _sucks_ , but I’m doing it. Do you have any idea how hard it is to stop drinking for an alcoholic?”

“You’re… you were an alcoholic?”

“I may have been very drunk during my twelve year old seven minutes in heaven adventure. And I know he wants me to come crawling back, but I’m not going to do it, Steve. I promised myself I wouldn’t.”

“And you won’t. I know it.”

Tony didn’t realize he’d been crying until he tried to take a breath and his nose was clogged. “Okay, okay. My turn for a question.”

“We don’t have to play anymore if you don’t want to.”

“Oh no, we’re still playing. You know my dirty little secret, what’s yours?”

“My dad… was a drunk. He, uh, slapped me around a lot when I was little. Raped my mom. I don’t know. I think that, at some point, she loved him. I don’t know why else she’d stay with him if she hadn’t, other than me. He died when I was little, but… I’ll never forget it. My dirty little secret is…” Steve let out a long breath of air. “There is a part of me that thinks I was conceived when my dad raped my mom. I… don’t think that I was supposed to happen.”

Tony gnawed at his lip. “It’s not 1am yet.”

“What?”

“These conversations. Secrets and stuff… it’s supposed to happen after 1am. They say that’s when the real friends are made.”

Steve avoided looking at Tony. “So, uh, we’re not real friends? Then why are we doing this?”

Tony smiled and dug out his phone to look at the time. 10:02. “Here,” he said, covering up the last three digits. “Now it’s 1am. Look at us, we’re real friends.”

* * *

“Well, ‘night Tony,” Steve said. Tony had ridden the elevator up to the forth floor to drop Steve off at his door.

“Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow. That I shall say good night till it be morrow.”

Steve unlocked his door and disappeared inside without another word. Tony worried he’d pushed Steve away—they’d talked about some heavy stuff earlier—but Steve had given back something just as heavy. Overthinking it wouldn’t do any good, so he just jogged up the single flight of stairs to his own room and went in.

“You’re home late,” Bruce noted.

“Got sidetracked. Made a friend.”

“Well, I cooked dinner. Leftovers are waiting in the microwave for you.”

Tony didn’t bother heating up the food—he wouldn’t have tasted it anyway. He was high on a new drug called Steve.

He woke up to a slamming on the door. Stumbling to his feet he took note that Bruce wasn’t in the room. Tony swung open the door and there was Steve.

“What time is it?” Tony groaned, squinting his eyes—the light from the hallway was far too bright.

“Noon. Were you still sleeping?”

Tony groaned and held open the door for Steve to come in. “If you’re going to talk, we’re gonna do it somewhere dark.”

Steve shrugged and went into the room.

“Why are you here at the ass crack of dawn, Rogers?”

“It’s _noon_.”

“On a Sunday.”

“What does that matter?” 

“Sundays are sleep-in days.” Tony cleaned his glasses on his pajama pants and put them on his face.

“Yeah, until ten, not noon.”

“You willingly get up before ten on the other days of the week?” Tony gasped.

“Um, yes? I get up at seven.”

Tony stared at Steve, slack-jawed. “What time do you go to bed?”

“Between nine and eleven. When I don’t have work, closer to nine. When I do, closer to eleven.”

“So… when I said goodbye last night, you went in and went to sleep?”

Steve chuckled. “Is that so hard to believe? What did you do?”

“Watched a movie, trolled the internet, read a book, fucked a bitch—”

“What?”

“All is true except the last one. But seriously. It was Saturday night! You went to bed at eleven o’clock!”

“What time did you go to bed?”

“Between two and three… maybe three and four. I don’t remember. It was late. I pretty much just passed out in the middle of what I was doing, hence the open laptop on my bed.”

“What time do you normally go to bed?”

“Between one and two,” Tony shrugged. “Later, if I’m in the zone. I didn’t sleep much in high school. I’d get going on a project and lose track of time. I… don’t have the resources to invent anymore.”

“Money?”

“Yeah.”

“What have you invented?” It was blatantly obvious that Steve was changing the topic, but Tony took the bait.

“Well, there’s this,” Tony grabbed a small remote control and started hitting buttons. From under his desk wheeled a trash can on a little cart. Tony steered it to Steve and made it open the lid.

“ _Feed me,_ ” it said in a tinny voice.

“Uh…” Steve dug around in his coat pocket and produced a gum wrapper. He dropped it into the trashcan. The lid closed.

“ _Thank you._ ”

Tony drove it back under the desk. “That was one of my earlier ones. Probably around ten or eleven—”

“You were _ten?_ ”

“Please, let’s not make a big deal out of it. It’s a simple machine. My big projects I had to leave home. I was only able to bring Trish and SAM.”

“Trish and Sam?”

“Trish the Trash Can and SAM, the Strong Arm Machine. He picks my clothes up off the ground and puts them in the hamper so I don’t have to. Again, remote controlled. He’s bulky. I keep him in the closet.”

“Can I see him?”

“Sure,” Tony shrugged. He went to his closet and brought out what looked like nothing more than a pole on a wheeled cart. There were a bunch of remotes on Tony’s desk, but he grabbed SAM’s controller easily. The look of wonder on Steve’s face as Tony commanded SAM to tidy up his dirty socks was beyond amazing. Tony caught himself thinking that he’d do anything to make Steve smile like that.

Eventually, Tony drove SAM back into the closet and put the remote down.

“Basically he’s just around because I’m too lazy to bend over. Same with Trish. If I need to throw something out, I drive her to me.”

“You’re amazing. They’re amazing.”

“Thanks,” Tony shrugged. “They’re nothing special. I’ve had awesome ideas since coming here, things to improve the dorms and campus life in general, but…” Tony sighed. “It’s been two months and my hands are _aching_ for a tool kit.”

There was an awkward silence.

“So, uh, physics,” Steve started.

“You woke me up to tutor you?” Tony groaned, throwing a pillow at Steve. “Jesus, Rogers, you really know the way to a man’s heart.”

“I just… I thought… you said tomorrow. I figured you’d be awake. I’m… so sorry. I’ll just… leave.” Steve hurried out the door.

“Rogers!” Tony shouted after him.

“Huh?” Steve asked, sticking his head back in the doorway. 

“I’ll swing by your room in a bit. I have to shower and stuff, but then we’ll go to the library to work, sound good?”

Steve smiled. “Sounds great.”

* * *

The library smelled gross and the air was dry, but it was where Steve wanted to be tutored, so Tony humored him. They picked a double study carol in the back of the library where no one ever went. It seemed like a good idea at the time; being away from everyone else, thus being able to both work and socialize with each other.

Then they found out they weren’t alone.

“ _Harder_ ,” came the harsh whisper. Tony and Steve stared wide eyed at the shelf just behind Tony. There were people fucking back there. At first they decided to give it the benefit of the doubt, but after a few minutes of moans and grunts, they were positive that there were people getting their freak on.

“So, uh, physics,” Tony started.

Steve let out a low moan.

Tony covered his mouth to keep from cracking up. “Did you just moan wantonly?” he whispered.

“Did you just use the word ‘wantonly’?” Steve asked before moaning again.

Tony raised an eyebrow and gave the international sign for blow job. Steve nodded, then moaned again. Tony started pumping a pretend dick, making wonderfully sloppy sounds and gagging at just the right moments. The two fell into a rhythm, hopefully making the people on the other side of the shelf just as uncomfortable as Steve and Tony had been moments before.

“Are you gonna come on my face?” Tony asked.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you, you little slut,” Steve purred.

That was it. Tony lost it. He let out a howling laugh, slamming his fist on the table. Seeing Tony’s reaction, Steve was left no choice but to do the same. This was so _absurd._ The awkward couple shuffled out from behind the shelf, barely clothed.

“You guys are dicks,” the girl hissed.

“Oh, I’m sorry that the people doing homework in the library interrupted your copulation,” Steve noted.

“Fuck off,” she said. “You could have just gone somewhere else.”

“And you could have found somewhere private,” Tony said. “Now shoo.”

The couple disappeared into the elevator. Steve and Tony continued to crack up.

“Did that just happen?” Steve asked through his laughter.

Tony wiped a finger under his watering eyes. “I think it did.”

They continued to laugh.

“So, physics.”

“Yes, physics,” Steve said with a nod, his mouth a serious line. That sent them into another bout of hysterical laughter. Tony’s phone, which was lying face down on the table, started to blast _Shake it Off_ by Taylor Swift.

“Tony?” Steve asked, raising an eyebrow. A glance at the caller ID told Tony all he needed to know and he hit _Ignore_.

“Whu?”

“Interesting ring tone.”

“It’s catchy! I take it you’re not a fan of T-Swizzle?”

“No, she’s pretty good, I just didn’t peg you for a fan of her.”

“Well, I am a multi-layered person, Steven.”

_Shake it Off_ blared from his phone again. Tony glared at it. Steve caught a glance at the contact ‘Jerr' before Tony hit _Ignore_ again.

“Who’s Jerr?” Steve asked.

“A casual male encounter of mine,” Tony said distractedly as he flipped through Steve’s notes. “Okay, so one of the reasons you’re having so much trouble in this class is because your professor is a moron.”

“So, like, a fuck buddy?” Steve asked.

“Jerr? Yeah. But casual male encounter sounds far less crass. Now, physics—”

“Are you gonna see what he wants?” Steve asked, gesturing to Tony’s phone, which was blowing up with text messages.

“I know what he wants, Steve.”

“Oh, well, yeah. So… are you gay?”

Tony looked up from Steve’s notes. “Why are you so hung up on this?” Steve shrugged. “I’m pansexual.”

“I’m bi.”

“Congratulations,” Tony snapped. “Now do you want me to teach you how to fucking do idiot physics or are you going to continue to grill me on things that are none of your business?”

“You don’t have to get all defensive, Tony. I was just asking.”

“Why? Why were you asking?”

“I don’t know! Don’t yell at me!”

“Is there something _wrong_ with casual sex?” Tony spat.

“I didn’t say that!”

“Am I filth?” He was seeing red. He _knew_ he was being irrational. “Mr. I lost my virginity in a _fucking closet._ ”

“At least I wasn’t an alcoholic at age twelve!”

“Rape baby!” Tony shouted. Steve’s face fell and Tony knew he’d gone too far. “Steve, I’m so sor—”

“No, Tony.”

“Please, Steve, I didn’t mean it.”

“Yes, you did..”

“Steve, I swear. I knew it would hurt, so I said it.”

“It did hurt. Can you please leave?”

“Do you really want me to?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll leave.”

Tony gathered his things and walked towards the door. He looked back once, just before he ducked through the doorway. Steve’s shoulders were shaking. Tony wanted to puke; he was a despicable human being.

He texted Bruce, first, knowing he’d be in class and wouldn’t get the text for awhile.

_need the room for a few hours_

Then he texted Jerr.

_you free now?_

His phone hadn’t even made it to his pocket when it vibrated.

_ur room?_

_of course ;)_

Tony Stark hated himself.

* * *

With Jerr’s mouth around his cock, Tony weaved his finger’s through the blond’s hair and pretended. He pretended he hadn’t said those things, he pretended Steve was still his friend, he pretended Steve was more than a friend.

He pretended it was Steve’s mouth he was in.

“Stop!” Tony shouted, yanking at Jerr’s hair.

“Are you okay?”

“I need you to fuck me,” Tony pleaded. He needed to get Steve out of his head and this was his only immediate idea.

It didn’t work. Jerr was careful with Tony’s body; he took care of him. God, he hated himself so much. Here was this amazing person, preparing him for sex with the upmost care, and Tony was lying with his eyes closed, pretending it was someone else.

The sex itself was nothing special. Tony had come to accept that sex was not like it was in the movies or in the books. Sex was alright, it felt pretty good, but it wasn’t a spiritual experience, a soul bonding moment.

He shouted Steve’s name as he came.

“Tony?” Jerr whispered.

“I know.” He turned his head to the side and wished to disappear. Jerr was still on top of him. Still inside of him. “I’m sorry.”

Jerr rolled off of him. “Don’t be. This was casual, right?”

“Jerr—”

“I’m not mad. Honestly, I’m not. I didn’t expect this to last that much longer, anyway. It’s nothing against you, but… fuck buddies are a bad idea.”

“Yeah,” Tony mumbled. “I’m still really sorry.”

“Nah. So who’s this Steve and what has he done to be so lucky as to win your heart?”

Tony rolled over, pointedly not looking at Jerr. The wall was very interesting. “I said some things.”

“What kind of things?”

“Steve…” Tony sighed. “Trusted me with something. A secret. A really big, serious secret. And I took it and I threw it in his face.”

“Why?”

The edge of Tony’s blanket was frayed. “I don’t know.”

“Tony?”

“Because I like him. I like him a lot and I don’t deserve him, and a part of me wanted to bring him down to my level. I wanted him to feel, at least for a moment, as worthless as I do.”

Jerr wrapped his arm around Tony. “I’m gonna leave and you’re gonna go talk to Steve.” Jerr kissed his shoulder. “Goodbye, Tony. Don’t fuck it up with him.”

Tony stayed facing his wall while Jerr busied himself around the room, cleaning himself off, getting back into his clothes, and fixing his hair. When the door closed behind him, Tony flopped on his back and stared at the ceiling. He had to fix things with Steve.

* * *

Tony was out of his mind. Absolutely, completely, and totally out of his goddamned mind. Steve lived four stories up, but his curtain was open and Tony could see his shadow moving around. Tony searched for the right sized rock. When he found it, he tossed it up at Steve’s window. A few moments later, he threw another.

Steve opened the window.

“Who the fuck? _Tony?_ ”

“But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Steve is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief, that thou, her maid, art far more fair than she. Be not her maid, since she is envious; her vestal livery is but sick and green and none but fools do wear it; cast it off.”

Tony couldn’t see Steve’s face. He hoped Steve was smiling. There was no way to tell.

“Look, I’m sorry. Honestly, what I said was stupid. Like, really fucking stupid. I didn’t mean it and I would really like to be your friend again,” Tony shouted to be heard.

“Tony, I—”

“Forgive him!” Someone shouted out the window. “And then both of you shut the hell up.”

“Do you wanna come up?” Steve asked.

“Very much so!”

Tony sprinted through the door. The elevator was too slow, so he bolted up the stairs. His only thought was Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve. He got to 406 and knocked furiously on the door. It swung open and there was Steve. Tony wrapped him in a bone crushing hug.

“We’ve been friends for, like, twenty-four hours, Tony. Why are you acting like you haven’t seen me in a month?” Steve asked when Tony finally let go.

“Because I thought I fucked it up. I thought that you were done with me because I said horrible, _horrible_ things to you and, seriously, I don’t deserve your friendship, though your lapse in judgment is truly wonderful because I’m really happy that you’re back in my life. I’ll totally help you with physics and I don’t think you’re a idiot even though I said that, it’s not true. Sometimes I just forget that not everyone is as smart as I am. I’m so glad we’re friends again. Steve!” Tony said all of it in one breath, then squeezed Steve again. “I’m sorry.”

Steve just chuckled and patted Tony on the back. “It’s okay.”

Tony continued to hug Steve, and Steve swayed them back and forth.

“How’d you get those rock four stories up?”

Tony shrugged. “Basic physics.”

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter two will finish the second half of October from Steve's POV.
> 
> Hope you enjoy :D


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